Fear (Of Leaving You)
by Sakuyan
Summary: [Joker x Robin (M)] Robin, drifting between worlds, finds himself in the world of smash. Fear of making friends, only to leave them behind, grips his heart. Someone notices his fears and doesn't let him face them alone. Fluffy angst.


**A/N: **If you know how to navigate AO3, go look up "Shenanigans in Smash Manor" by ghastly7. It's a glorious piece of art and it introduced me to these two, who wormed their way to my Smash OTP. Yay new pairings!

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**Fear (Of Leaving You)**

Robin hates to admit it, but seeing his companions in the manor getting with their love interests is a bit... disheartening, in simplest terms. The biggest surprise was Dark Pit and Cloud. No one saw it coming and when they announced it, there were quite a few comically large eyes and exclamations of, "What?!" Robin looks back on it now and can't help but laugh.

His female counterpart, Reflet, found love with their best friend, and Robin has to admit he was rather shocked when Chrom came to him and told him of what transpired between him and Robin's other. He was happy for them, truly. He has to wonder why they couldn't have realized it during the war, but he shakes his head soon as the thought enters his mind. It's war. You don't think about love during war.

At least... he never did. Reflet came from Ylisse when she came to Smash Manor, but Robin? After the war, he was summoned to Askr, where he fought with heroes from various worlds, until he was pulled in this one. All the world shifting wore on his mind, more than he cared to admit. How long would he stay in this world, only to be whisked away to another one?

Hence the reason he didn't try to befriend anyone. Some approached him, yet he didn't converse too heavily. Robin didn't want to make friends, and then have those friends disappear when he went somewhere else. Sitting in his room (alone, thankfully), the tactician throws a pillow over his face and wonders when he'll be sent away. It's a matter of time. He was in Askr for... a year? Perhaps longer. But a year is his estimate of how long he stays in any particular world.

He's been here for six months. Six months, and the only ones he could call friend were Reflet and Chrom. They didn't mind Robin's... unique circumstances (to put it lightly) and told him, "Everyone needs a friend", hence they never left him alone too long. They knew he was prone to thinking too much when he was by himself, so hence they stuck by his side. Robin is grateful for them, truly. He didn't know what it'd be like to be in this huge mansion without a single person to call comrade.

So why did seeing people he didn't know well find love with a person he (also) didn't know well bother him so much? Possibly because loneliness clings to his heart like glue and if he tries to pry it away, it's as if he's taking away pieces of the muscle as well? Robin doesn't really know. He doesn't _want_ to figure out why it bothers him to the point he sits in his room and thoughts wander to darker times.

Sighing, the white haired man feels tears gather in his eyes, yet this time, he doesn't bother to try and get rid of them. All he does is cry silently. The tactician doesn't hear his room door open until the bed dips and a gentle hand brushes through his white tresses.

Robin guesses who it is. His roommate, Joker. The man is an enigma - he doesn't talk often, but he looks at people and seems to know what they're thinking before they voice it. Some think he's strange, but Robin? The phantom thief's presense is, strangely, calming. However, he doesn't want to show the latter he's crying, so he lays there, feeling himself calm as the taller one continues his soothing motions.

When he feels safe enough, the other lifts the pillow off his face, his suspicions confirmed as brown eyes meet dark gray. He gives Joker a small smile, hoping to reassure his roommate he's fine. But the other man has none of it. The fingers which were in his hair now brush against his cheek, catching lingering tears and flicking them away.

"Heh. Sorry," Robin murmurs, not sure whether to be embarrassed, touched, or humiliated. It's an odd mixture of the three, conflicting, emotions. Joker tips his head, looking at the former with a pointed look, asking without words for the smaller man to explain. "I just... I don't know." Robin flicks his gaze away from those gray depths, feeling like he'd get lost in them. "I... want to be close to all of you and have that camaraderie. But... at the same time... I won't be in this world for much longer. No point... no point making friends when... when they'll just..."

Tears come again, and this time, Robin can't help but cover his face with his hands as sobs break free from his throat. To his surprise, strong arms lift him from his fetal position and cradle him against an equally strong chest. Joker doesn't let him go, resting his head against Robin's as he holds on tight to the latter. "It's okay," the, usually, silent man whispers against the other's ear.

The strong voice of his companion placates Robin, as the tears start to slow and his breathing begins to become more even. He wraps his arms around Joker's waist, closing his eyes. "I... I'm sorry."

The thief tightens his grip on Robin in response, and, to his surprise, feels a tender kiss placed against his cheek. Robin blushes and stutters, unsure of what to make of it. Is it reassurance? A token of affection? His mind whirls with possibilities. Again, Joker seems to be able to tell what's running through Robin's head, and pulls away until their eyes meet.

Robin blinks a few times. Joker's eyes are warm, filled with adoration and affection, and it makes the tactician balk. Surely... surely that can't be right? Why would such a gorgeous man fall for someone as plain and mundane as himself? His head swirls again, and the other stops it by closing the distance between them.

The kiss is... affable. It doesn't demand anything - it means to reassure and stop the berating thoughts going through Robin's head. He melts against the larger man, letting him lead the kiss. One of Joker's hands tangles itself within Robin's snow white locks, while the other rests against the nape of his neck. Despite giving the man complete control, he doesn't dominate or demand a thing. Instead, Robin can tell, all he wants is for Robin to understand. Understand the depths of his emotions. Understand how much he means to him.

When Joker pulls away, he gives Robin a content smile, the hand in his hair moving to trace random patterns on his cheek. He looks at him curiously, silently asking if he understood what he tried to do. And Robin leans in the touch, nodding at the former. "Yeah," is all he says, moving so his head rests above Joker's heart. The steady _thump, thump, thump_ under his ear is comforting, reassuring, and makes him forget all the bad things in the world.

All the bad things... Robin jumps slightly, seeming to want to pull away, yet Joker has none of it. He holds Robin in place, ensuring he wouldn't escape, and whispers in his ear again. "You won't disappear."

"But... how do you know?" the other whispers back, clinging on Joker as if his life depends on it. "I... I don't want to..."

"You won't. And if you do, I'll traverse the worlds until I find you."

Robin thinks uttering those words is the most Joker has spoken, at least in the manor. A half laugh, half sob leaves his lips as he cuddles closer to the latter, crystal tears dripping down his cheeks. "T... Thank you..."

Another kiss is bestowed on his cheek, and Robin feels Joker's lips curl against the skin as he runs his fingers against the tactician's back. The thought of vanishing from this world leaves Robin's mind, with only one thought left: Even if he did disappear, his newfound love would find him. Nuzzling his face against the soft skin between neck and shoulder, Robin feels content for the first time in what feels like forever.

Now how would they announce this to the other smashers?

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_**Fin.**_


End file.
